Aroma visualization from community tastings
Valinch & Mallet Clarendon The Spirit Of Art 2008
Glue, solvent and overripe banana lead the nose, then the palate turns dry and woody with tannins, coffee and dark chocolate. Most tasters love the ever-changing, ester-heavy nose but find the mouth less generous — heavy on oak, a touch sour, and with alcohol that could be integrated better. A 12-year Clarendon pot still at cask strength, more technical than fruity.
The community says- Phenomenal shifting nose
- Ester and glue notes
- But: Very dry, tannic
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The look inside the bottle
How does Valinch & Mallet Clarendon The Spirit Of Art 2008 taste?
Aggregated from 60 community reviews.
Ester-driven Clarendon, dry and woody Well-liked Clarendon with a phenomenal, shifting nose. The catch: several find the palate drier and woodier than the nose promises, with heat and tannins slightly overshadowing the fruit.
Fans of technical, ester-heavy Clarendon Jamaicans
Anyone wanting a fruity, easy-sipping Jamaican
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
24 of 60 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
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How is Valinch & Mallet Clarendon The Spirit Of Art 2008 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.2 sits in the “Very good” band. 100% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
70% rate it 8 or higher. 16 selected write-ups from 60 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Galli33
Most helpful positive review
Very likable jamaican from V&M. I like the phenomenal start in the nose. It’s lacks a bit in mouth and in the finish. Alcohol could be integrated better. Nose: delicious, complex, vanilla, oak, spicy, clove, solvents, rubber, glue, fruity, banana, citrus, peaches, cherry, overripe fruits, apricot Mouth: dry, creamy, funky, delicious, full bodied, balanced, woody, coffee, dark chocolate, smoky, spicy, clove, roasted, oak, papaya, mango Finish: long, dry, astringend, elegant, mocha, smoky, oak(woody), vanilla, dark chocolate, tannins, overriped bananas, burnt sugar, some notes of black tea, later on you’ll find some notes of honeycomb
Review by lukasdrinkinghabits
Most helpful mixed review
Leaves me somewhat perplexed. The nose is young, fruity, accessible with rather light, vanilla barrel nuance. The mouth then too unbalanced, astringent much wood and in addition a rather sour rather unripe fruitiness. This doesn't even want to match the pleasantly light entry. A mentholated freshness kick again in the finish. The nose is simple but nice, then it goes under and over. In a few years, perhaps an interesting batch.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Nice and fruity nose with rubber and varnish with a touch of wood. The palate matches pretty well with the nose. Slightly more wood and a light touch of chocolate and caramel. The finish is long and woody with chocolate and raisins.
Review by Vincent D
Surprising nose. Solvents and banana, rather classic. But the vanilla profile and woodiness are less usual. On the palate, the wood is very present. Powerful rum, hard wood and heaviness softened by ripe mango. Then dark notes of coffee and dark chocolate. Finishes on coffee, vanilla and esters. Nice because different from what I knew. Surprisingly hot. Alcohol a little too present. A pity. Edit: I tasted it at RhumFest and didn't get the same impression. The palate must have been more used to it... Edit 2: first impression confirmed. The finish is a little too bitter. The wood is very present.
Review by mto75
On the nose coconut, red fruits, spices and wood, on the palate the full load of tannins, which unfortunately somewhat overshadow the other notes and the finish.
Review by Mike H.
I didn’t take any notes at the Rhum Fest so a more detailed review will follow as soon as I get the chance to sample this rum again in a better context.
Review by Jakob
Not the best Clarendon, but a successful representative of the style. Distinct roasted notes from the cask, plus fruit esters and medicinal hints.
Review by Thunderbird
The nose is great and changes from minute to minute...this feels promising.... on the palate then slightly just above average, as is the finish
Review by Johannes
Extrem trockener MM!
Review by alex
C’est bon, mais c’est le moins bon de la dernière série de valinch.
Review by Martin Ekrt
Silná esterově chemická vůně řízlá přezrálým tropickým ovocem. Slušná divočina, ale hodně sympatická. Chuť oproti vůni docela umírněná. Technické prvky, nemocnice a tropické ovoce. Závěr spíš mentolový s tropickým ovocem. Trochu mi to připomíná Chairman Master.
Review by Filip Šikula
Degustační kalendář Pavla Špačka vol. 4. Obecně mám clarendony spojené s technikou a velmi intenzivní dřevnatostí, která je u toho kousku mírnější na úkor ovoce a techniky což je za mě skutečně super!
Review by John Coffey
The nose is great. On the palate, however, it's less funky than a traditional jam... But it's still very good despite the dryness... I liked it all the same
Review by martin slezák
Rx10420 vzorka 31 kalendár pavla špačka 2024 Farba medená Vôňa intenzívna lepidlo, odlakovač, nafta, ovocie, citrusy, medová sladkosť, zatuchlina, kyselkavosť Chuť suchý, nafta, leštidlo na skrine, technické tóny, mentol, čierny čaj, taníny, drevo, korenie, mierna alkoholovosť, mohol by byť lepšie integrovaný Dlhý záver taníny, čierny čaj, mäta, mentol, nafta, technické tóny, drevo,
Review by Michal Slávik
I enjoy the strong technical tones on it. Too bad it doesn't also contain a fruity profile, it would complement it beautifully. The finish is oily, could be longer.
Review by Anonymous
Vyborny jamajcan, technicky tak akurat. Velmi ma bavia tie prechody technickosti do ovocia a zase tam a spat, jak v arome tak v chuti.
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Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by The Secret Rum Bar
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Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
What this bottle last achieved at auction. A research indicator, not a forecast.
Auction results 103 € – 109 €
from 4 sales, latest 04/2025
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 141 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about Valinch & Mallet Clarendon The Spirit Of Art 2008
A Pot Still Rum from Jamaica, bottled by Valinch & Mallet, at 56,1%.
Community purchases
17 bottles logged by 13 collectors.
A drinker's rum.
35% opened, 6 emptied and repurchased.
What does Valinch & Mallet Clarendon The Spirit Of Art 2008 cost?
Community paid 86–149 €.
Current best price: 189.90 € – above the typical community range.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
17 purchased · 62 tasted · 9 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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